NY kids enjoy SouthCoast summer

Through the Fresh Air Fund, about 50 New York City students this Monday arrived via bus at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford. They are staying with families in the area, visiting such suburban and rural communities as Freetown, Dartmouth and Westport.

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By Jeffrey D. Wagner, Correspondent

The Herald News, Fall River, MA

By Jeffrey D. Wagner, Correspondent

Posted Jul. 13, 2014 at 12:24 AM
Updated Jul 13, 2014 at 12:27 AM

By Jeffrey D. Wagner, Correspondent

Posted Jul. 13, 2014 at 12:24 AM
Updated Jul 13, 2014 at 12:27 AM

» Social News

WESTPORT — When Izanae Holley, 14, stepped into Janna LaFrance’s back yard eight years ago, the Brooklyn, New York, native marveled at how LaFrance had a “park in the back” of her house.

LaFrance recalls this story when detailing how she and her family first became acquainted with Izanae through the family’s participation in the Fresh Air Fund.

Izanae now knows that LaFrance just has a big backyard, but she still loves visiting the LaFrance family once a year for two weeks.

Through this program, about 50 New York City students this Monday arrived via bus at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford. They are staying with families in the area, visiting such suburban and rural communities as Freetown, Dartmouth and Westport.

Since she was around 7, Izanae has stayed with Janna LaFrance and family. The arrangement has worked out well for the Brooklyn girl.

Every year, the LaFrance family and five other families go camping together. Since Izanae’s arrival, LaFrance has tried to plan the trip during Izanae’s two-week stay.

Izanae also has plenty of kids within the immediate family to hang around with. LaFrance has four children — ages 20, 16, 15 and 12.

Together, they all do activities such as swimming and going to one of the beaches that Westport has to offer.

“At first, she was exhausted from all the activities,” LaFrance said. “She is good now. She loves it.”

Izanae’s life in Westport is also much different from city life in Brooklyn. She has her own room and own space. In Brooklyn, she lives in a high-rise apartment and shares a room with her siblings.

“We go camping. We go to the beach — it’s always fun here,” Izanae said during a phone interview.

Izanae said “there are a lot more trees here than in Brooklyn,” but she doesn’t seem to mind.

An avid reader, Izanae also seeks out quiet time and reads when she stays in Westport.

The ages of the Fresh Air Fund kids range from 6 to 18. Some left home for the first time while others, like Izanae, are regulars.

According to a written release, the Fresh Air Fund is an independent, nonprofit agency that has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877.

“Each summer, over 4,000 children visit volunteer host families in rural, suburban and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada,” the release states.

SouthCoast program chairwoman Judy Dubois encourages local residents to call her at 508-995-6317 for more information or to become a host family, or to log onto www.freshairfund.org.